Saturday, July 23, 2016

Big Brown Bat Release

Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), one of several caught the day before by bat expert Dr. Brian Hickey, of the St. Lawrence River Institute, and colleagues from a house where the owners didn't want them living in the attic is fed mealworms, has a radio tracker attached, and released at Ontario Power Generation Visitor Centre, Cornwall,

Bat flying away after release. Was successfully tracked by radio.

Hickey said the big brown bat was not as badly affected by white nose syndrome as the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), since the big brown bats are more likely to hibernate in buildings and other places less prone to harbor the white nose syndrome fungus. He said that he only finds one or two, if that many, of the little brown bats in places like caves and mines he used to find dozens. He said the best way to catch a bat trapped in your house was with a butterfly net or just pick it off the wall when it settles down with work gloves, since they have small teeth and can't get through them. Exercise caution and do not handle any more than necessary as they can carry rabies!